Link belt.



M- A. CHAMPLIN.

LINK BELT, APPLICATlON FILED AUG.2.19H- 1,257.579. Patented Feb. 26, 1918 v 4 SHEETS-SHEET t.

A TTORNE Y8 M. A. CHAMPLIN.

' LtNK BELT.

I APPUCATION FILED AUG.2, \911 1,257,579. Patented Feb. 26, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES ATTORNEYS M; A. CHAMPLIN.

. LINK BELT.

' APPLICATION FILED AUG.2.- 191,1. 1,257,579.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

- Patented Feb. 26,1918.

M T m y N I LINK BELT.

Application filed Augnstfi; 1917. Serial No. 184,138.

1 '0y all whom it may concern Be it I-known thatlQM 'ImN A. CIIAMPLIN, zt-eitizen the United States, and a resident oflviishing'ton, in the District of Columbia,

5 have inverited'a new and useful Improvement in Link Belts, of which the tt'ollowing is .21 specifiestion.

'Myinvention;-relates to improvements in link s 'In-i'n such as would be present were the cushioning men'iber brought directly in 'c'onj ta-ngular sockets .4; which etact with the. g-r'ound. 1;llCCU1TlpllSl1.lilliSObjeet by plneing-the' cushioning members hetweenithe wearingmember and thebodgipor- J25 tion o'ftlelin'k"proper.

A further object-(if my invention is to :link in Which-the cilsh ;l( .ll'.l(1-ilphUlO-el 01 ch they may berendily Retrieved;

30 .nrt -'*"eb i;ebiof'finy invention to EPOXY 1e. nle hell ieonsuruetmn in :n-lneh i ing..iiitilihQtSAre.se disposed a to prevent shearing of these members due rnl. n ofvie nei'it of the shoe '(n'-,\ve; ri11g rheinl II i 1 ohjoets andadvantages will appear illonnng spy Ieatimis :in; thenovel in --p: i-rtshoi-ng'seetions .etmn along llni l ne of t -'hott0 h -ijila'nview of :mollnn' STATES PATENT Speeifieatioi of Letters Patent.

eltsmore particularly-to those truck tend intoregisteringsoekel-s .6 in a W. i numl-ier "or: shoe '7. 1 Tl.

; inteel-ont Slli'Otl i' Then links n l .inenns'ol; nt-o 1.. pains ll puss throw 1 Cl Y of :1 mn'w'liliml ."ul-"flhe"link.

s a section along tlm'line 6 -1'3el':

i "distal-ring hmirtn' .l

wine-lien. 2. a

Fig. 8 is it seetion on the-line of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 a side view of the links shown in Fig. 8, f,

Fig. 10 is a side-view ofa ortion; link belt constructed accord' -1g to i'nyinvention. I l

Fig. 11J-is-a ection through another-rho fied form of,the device in w-hic'hispr' are used. I

Fig. 12 is it section through another m fied 'fOI-III. I i In Ct ll.)ll1g.. l 2mylIlYQIJtiODI-Ifiay make use of any 0'! a nnu'iher-ef for-ms olilinl's" the preferred form is shown in FigS'eL'Q-i 3. In this form the link consists-of a ma body portion 1 which is pre'feinbly it on ing having upstanding side. li'lClnbGlS' 2,"-Se I Fig. 3, these side members having t1:1el 'po'i" tions 3. I

The body portion-'1iis proyideda-w I I tend vei'sely of. tl1G dlICGt'lOi'I"-i-II whie th designed to. move. In- :eneli of these soc ets is disposed n. enshioninginiemhei' 5 ese cushioning :n'ie-in'bei's b'eing m ringe iii-- see-lift post-din. grantees vor-elents 8 ii hi with the groundnut151ml"? i .e u'ii 11 9;- .n gland lili'llllllltl 'nl ul llm link. he with sqmue 'lwi'ul'H 1.1!

I igs. 4-, 5 :llltl (3, l shown thin-bin modified l'orm of the def In this form there is a body portion which is formed of a single casting this body portion is shown at 18. It has sides 19 having track portions 20. The under portion of the casting 18 is provided with V-shaped grouters or cleats 21 and 22, these grouters being cast integrally with the body portion. The space between the grouter 21 and the grouter 22 is provided with a plurality of cushioning members. In this instance there are three of these cushioning members, these being shown at 23, 24 and 25, in Fig. i. Obviously, a greater or less number {night he used.

In order to hold the cushioning members in position and to cover them. so as to prevent injury to the cushioning members, I provide a movable tread member 26 which is arranged to telescope within the space between the grouters 21 and 22. The trend member 26 1s a V-shaped plate which is held inposition by means of bolts 2" which pass through the body portion 18 of the link. The construction is such that when the weight of the device comes on the tread members they will be forced upwardly so that the cushioning members will be compressed, thus tend ing to take up the shock. The connection of the links shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 to their adjacent links is the same as that already described in connection with Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

In 7, 8 and 9 I have shown amodified form 0 link in which a body portion 27 is provided with side members 28 having track portions 29. In Figs. 8 and 9 the link is shown in the position which it would assume when on the u per side of the endless belt. The body portion 27 is fluted or corrugated transversely with respect to the direction in which the link is moving.

The grouter in this instance, consists of .a-sepnrate casting 30 which is bolted to the main body portion 27 by bolts 31. A telescopic tread member 32 is disposed within the grouter 30 and has flanges which engage similar flanges on the grouter. A cushioning member 33 is disposed between the body portion 27 and the tread portion 32.

In assembling this form of device, the tread portion 32 is first placed in position in the'grouter 30; the cushion 33 is then insorted and the grouter is then bolted to the body portion 27.

Inthis form of the device one end of the link is provided with tubular sockets 34: ar ranged to receive apivot pin (not shown). These bearings 3% enter spaces corresponding 'to the spaces 35 on the opposite end of the link.

In Fig. 11 I have shown another modified form of'the device in which coiledsprings 36 are substituted for the cushion 5 in Fig. 3, while in Fig. 12 a leaf spring 37is secured to the tread member 7 and bears on the body portion 1.

In each of the forms disclosed there is a cushioning member to take up shocks which would otherwise be transmitted. These cushioning members may be, stated, any suitable elastic medium such as rubber or the like, or may be springs, the idea being to have a cushion between the tread member and the body portion of the link itself to take up shocks and jars.

I. claim:

1.. A link. belt coniprisii'ig a plurality of links each having a body portion provided with a track portion on one edge of the link and a tread portion on the opposite edge and cushioning means between said tread portion and said body portion.

A link belt comprising a plurality of links each of said links having a body portion, ii'itcgral side members (Lilli-"J. by said body portions, track portions borne bysaid side members, a movable tread member, and means iL-r cushioning the tread member, said means pomprising one or more cushion ing members disposed between said tread member and the l. 1r oi the link.

3. A. link belt 1. .sing a p urality of links each of said links having a body portion, integral side portions carried by said body pi'irtion, integral track pmtions can ricd by said side portions, a movable tread member. means for guiding the tread membin: in its movement and cushioning means disposed between said tread member and the body portion of the link.

-l. A link belt comprising a plurality of 100 links each of said links having a body por-. tion, integral side portions carried by said body portion, integral track poitions carried by said side portions, a tread member movable toward and away from the body 105 portion of the link, means tor guiding the tread member in said movements and an elastic cushion disposed between the tread member and the body portion of the link for taking up shocks received by said tread 110 member.

5. A. link belt' for tractors oi. the caterpillar type comprising a plurality of links,

each of said links having a body portion,

integral sides carried by the body portion, 116 integral track portions carried by the sides.

sockets disposed in said body portion, a tread member movable toward and away from said body portion, said tread member having sockets, the sockets in said tread member 120 being arranged to register with the sockets 1n said body portion, and cushioning means disposed in said registering sockets between said tread member and said body portion for taking up shocks received. by said tread 126 integral sides carried by the body portion,

integral track portions carried by the sides, sockets disposed in said body portion, a tread member movable toward and away from said body portion, said tread member member being arranged having sockets, the sockets in said tread to register with the sockets in said body portion, and cushioning means disposed in said registering sock ets between said tread member and said body portion for taking up shocks received by said tread membenand guide members for guiding the tread.member in its movement toward and away from said body portion.

7 A link belt comprising a plurality of links each of said links being provided with a body portion, side portions carried by said body portion, track portions carried by said side portions said body portion being provided with socirets, a tread portion movable toward and away from said body portion, said tread portion having sockets ar ranged to register with the sockets in said body portion, resilient cushioning means disposed in said registering sockets between said tread portion and said body portion, and guide bolts for guidin the tread ortion in its movements toward and away f oin said body portion. i

MYRON A. CHAMPLINi 

